Scope

The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (formerly Department of Culture and the Arts) required a measurement framework to capture the value created by arts and cultural activity in WA. The Department engaged Pracsys to develop a Public Value Measurement Framework (PVMF) for WA, a world first in outcomes-based policy for the arts sector.

Approach

The consultant team worked with DCA to identify the key outputs, outcomes and value created through public investment in arts and culture. This has led to modelling the links between the policy framework and the measurement framework proposed. The resulting measurement framework has been benchmarked against leading edge thinking on the ways in which a public funder might measure the value of its cultural investments. This ensures that the measurement framework DCA will be using reflects best practice understandings around definitions and measurement techniques. As a consequence of this approach, the proposed measurement framework has two important users – firstly, DCA, as it attempts to harness the measurement framework in investment activities, and secondly, the broader arts and cultural sector, in their efforts to measure the value contribution of the sector to the public at large.

Outcome

A report outlining a series of recommendations was presented to the DCA and will require them to produce its own project plan and consider available or additional resources for the implementation of such recommendations.